


off base

by catbeans



Series: canon-universe stuff [2]
Category: Star Wars Original Trilogy
Genre: M/M, Trans Luke Skywalker, some space weed
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2017-10-09
Updated: 2017-10-09
Packaged: 2019-01-15 07:57:30
Rating: Explicit
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 15,630
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/12316968
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/catbeans/pseuds/catbeans
Summary: Han convinces Leia to let him and Luke take some time away from base, and manages to convince her too. (She needs it more than they do.)





	off base

**Author's Note:**

> this is strictly 100% han/luke any interactions btwn anyone else r platonic just to clear that up right now
> 
> anyway you dont Need to read the first part of this, its basically just han+luke hooking up for the first time after the death star but it is. referenced. occasionally

Luke woke up with a start, almost bolting upright with the disconcerting feeling that he'd overslept; he was stopped by the warm, solid weight of Han on top of him, and he suddenly remembered where he was--not late for work on the farm, not late for any briefings, not sure there was anything for him to be late for at all that day.

He was always up with the suns, and not needing to be was almost as disconcerting as thinking he had slept too long.

He must have accidentally moved a little, though, because Han shifted against him, holding onto him tighter and pressing his face against Luke's neck.

He closed his eyes and took a deep breath; it didn’t feel like he'd be able to get back to sleep, and the tingly-numb feeling in his arm from where Han was lying on it wasn't helping.

He could feel the damp-turned-tacky wet spot against his back from the night before, and it made his chest feel funny, prickly almost like anxiety but warm and soft in a way that spread down to his fingertips, and he couldn't help smiling into the mess of Han’s hair.

Luke's free hand shifted up with the impulse to touch Han, but he stopped himself, letting his hand drop back down to the bed. He'd never woken up with someone before, not like this, not without having to sneak out while it was still dark to get back home before Owen and Beru realized he was gone. It was nice, but strange in that way new things are without knowing ahead of time that they're going to happen, and Luke wasn't really sure what to do with himself.

It had been easier last night, still running on adrenaline from the last couple days, borrowed confidence from the way Han kissed him like there was nothing else he'd rather be doing; it felt more real in the warm, sleepy silence of Han’s bunk, too quiet and still to stop himself over-thinking.

He didn’t know what this meant, if he was supposed to leave--not that he could--and act like nothing had happened, if this was a one-time event or something confined to dark rooms and hidden, sneaking touches, and he would understand, but it was the  _ not knowing-- _

“Hey.”

Luke's breath caught in his throat, let out in a soft sigh a second later when Han kissed the side of his neck.

“Hey,” Luke said quietly, his voice almost as rough with sleep as Han’s. He pushed down the urge again to touch him.

Han only shifted to take some of the weight off of Luke's arm, but he didn’t move from there, absently trailing his fingers along Luke's side, still pressing kisses wherever he could reach without moving much. He brought his hand up to Luke's neck, and Luke felt a puff of breath against his skin that could have been a laugh when Han gently pressed down on a tender spot. His face felt warm when he remembered the marks from last night, some too high to hide under a collar; still, there was something reassuring about the way Han touched them, like he knew people would see, and if they could see, they could talk, but he didn’t seem to mind.

Luke finally moved his hand up to knead at Han’s hip, smiling a little to himself at the soft, contented sound Han made, shuffling impossibly closer to Luke and kissing each of the bruises on that side of his neck.

“You got any idea how long we've been in here?” Han mumbled eventually, muffled in the curve of Luke's shoulder. 

Luke shook his head, shivering a little at the way Han’s hair tickled under his chin.

Han wound his arm tightly around Luke's waist, grumbling something he couldn't quite hear.

Neither of them said anything for a few minutes, and Luke felt like he could stay there forever, close to dozing off again before Han tilted his chin up to kiss Luke's jaw.

“I dunno about you,” Han said eventually, rubbing his fingertips in slow circles over Luke's side, “but I could go for some food.”

Luke hummed in agreement; he hadn't really noticed the empty ache in his belly until Han mentioned it, but neither of them had stayed at the ceremony the night before for long enough to get much to eat.

It took a while for them to finally leave the Falcon, between Han having to show Luke how the water shower worked, and the way Han kept kissing him when they were getting dressed, tracing over the marks on Luke's neck while pretending to adjust his collar.

Luke had to pace the hallway a couple times to shake out the satisfying ache in his hips from riding Han last night.

Han poked his head into the cockpit on their way out, leading Luke to the door with a hand at his back. “Chewie’s conked out in there.”

Luke nodded, and it took a second for him to realize, “Does he--?”

“Probably.”

Luke glanced up at him, apology on the tip of his tongue even though he didn’t quite know what for, but Han’s mouth was quirked the tiniest bit upwards at the corner, and Luke kept quiet about it.

He had to squint against the light once they were outside, bright after being in the Falcon and so much clearer than on Tatooine, where the suns were always a filtered, hazy yellow from the sand and dust that got kicked up in the air. He'd been too busy to really notice it before, but the air felt clearer, too, sweet and damp and soft in his lungs.

Luke hadn't realized he'd stopped to breathe it in until Han turned to face him.

“You never really went off-planet before now, huh?”

Luke shook his head and sped up for a couple steps to catch up with Han. 

“Just Tatooine.” 

He stopped himself before he could explain any further, gritting his teeth and stamping down memories of Owen and Beru and the farm he'd felt so trapped in, how even if he'd been able to go off-planet, there had always been too much to do. No good thinking about that now.

Han hummed and nodded to himself, and he didn’t bring it up again over the rest of the walk back to base.

The noise hit them like a bag of bricks when they got to the dining hall, packed with rebels from more planets than Luke could count; it took a second to get his bearings, and he had to speed up to catch up with Han again, already on his way around the edge of the room.

“You see Leia anywhere?”

Luke shrugged, trying to pick her out from the mass of people filling the room, but he didn't see that familiar white dress. “I don’t--”

“Got her, never mind.”

Luke didn't recognize her until they were closer, tucked into the corner where it was the tiniest bit quieter; her hair was pulled in a tight braid circling her head, dressed like the rest of the rebels with none of the elegance or flash of everything else he'd seen her wear so far.

Han stopped him with a soft tug to his sleeve before he could go up to her.

The two people with her weren't other rebels, Luke realized; they were dressed too well, like nobles or politicians. With them were the first children Luke had seen on base, all of them looking dazed and overwhelmed like they didn't belong there. One of them was gripping Leia’s hands like a lifeline, and it hit him.

They were displaced Alderaanians.

“Let’s give it a minute,” Han said quietly, but Leia looked up before they could turn to leave.

She didn't make eye contact for long, but mouthed a quick “One second,” before turning her attention back to the people in front of her.

Luke fiddled with the sleeves of his borrowed shirt, awkwardly shifting his weight from one foot to the other. It felt almost intrusive to wait there, like stumbling into a stranger’s funeral, and he almost wished Leia hadn't noticed them before they'd had the chance to give her some space. Luke's chest felt tight.

Han was stony-faced and mostly expressionless, but the crease between his eyebrows and the set of his jaw made it clear Luke wasn't the only one feeling the weight of it.

It wasn't long before Leia pointed someone else out to the people around her, giving instructions too quiet for Luke to hear. The one who had been holding Leia's hands pulled her into a long, tight hug before they left, and Leia's face made the tight feeling in Luke's chest grow into an ache.

Leia took a deep breath, wringing her hands before gesturing for them to come over.

“Are you okay?” Luke blurted out before he could think better of it; this wasn't the ideal place for that kind of conversation.

Leia looked shaken, but she nodded, straightening her shoulders. “Fine.”

It wasn't particularly believable.

She hadn't gotten the chance to eat yet either, and it took a few minutes of wandering the room with their trays to find three seats together, Luke crammed next to Leia at the end of a long table with Han sitting across from them. Most of the food was the usual dehydrated stuff, easy to store in bulk without worrying about it spoiling; the rest had to be from right around base, Luke guessed, unfamiliar fruits that tingled in his mouth and more green than he’d ever seen on a table at one time.

They even had  _ juice. _

Han had a smudge of something at the corner of his mouth when he asked, “What's on the docket the next few days, princess?”

Leia rolled her eyes and shrugged. “Not much for you, I'd guess.” She looked down at her hands, picking apart a bread roll she didn’t seem to be eating. “Nothing else to shoot at just yet.”

Han hummed and nodded slowly, pushing his food around with a spoon. “And yourself?”

Leia shrugged again. “Someone's got to plan who you're  _ going _ to be shooting at.” She opened her mouth like she had more to say, but she shut it again a second later; Luke almost missed the way her chin shook just slightly before she clenched her jaw and sat up a little straighter.

Luke couldn't help wondering how many other Alderaanians had found themselves on base, with nowhere else to go and an equally displaced princess holding everything together.

None of them said anything for a minute, the noise from everyone else in the room heavier than any awkward silence could have been until Han cleared his throat.

“So if I took off for a couple days--”

“What?” Leia snapped the same time Luke practically shouted, “You're  _ leaving _ ?”

“Cool it, you didn’t let me finish. And no,” he said, pointing his spoon at Luke, “I'm not leaving. What I was  _ gonna _ ask was if it'd be okay if I took a couple days with him,” he said, gesturing towards Luke again, “and you, if you felt like shirking your princessly duties for a couple days. This has been a great shitshow and all, but I think we could all go for a break.” He paused, poking around his food for a second before adding, “You in particular, actually.”

Leia frowned and didn’t say anything, so Luke didn’t either, but Han was clearly waiting for an answer after a few seconds.

“Where,” she asked slowly, “and for how long?”

Han shrugged. “Here. And just a day or two. Nothing crazy.”

Leia hummed indecisively and rubbed the back of her neck.

“If you need us to be here--” Luke started.

“No,” Leia interrupted. “I don’t think there’s anything for you to do right now.”

“Are you sure?”

Leia hesitated, and then, “Yes. Neither of you would be much help getting stir-crazy until we know our next move.”

Luke's throat felt tight with needing to say something, and though he wasn’t entirely sure what, he knew that it wasn't something to say in a room full of people.

There had to be a good reason to get Leia alone at some point.

“So it's a go,” Han said, clapping his hands down on the table. “You too, come on.”

“I can’t just leave for two days, some of us have work to do  _ here.” _

“One day. You can come right back,” Han insisted, and then when Leia didn’t say anything, “Half a day.”

Leia breathed out slowly and started picking at her bread again. “Maybe a little while. I don’t have a lot of free time.”

“There we go,” Han said triumphantly. “We can stay close, no one’ll even notice you're gone.”

“Yeah, I bet.”

Her voice was toeing the line between sarcastic and plain bitter, but her eyes looked a little less sad and her mouth wasn't in the tight frown it had been in earlier, and Luke decided that was better than nothing. 

It took most of the rest of the morning before they were able to leave, Han and Luke killing time around base while Leia wrapped up as much as she could for the day. Luke couldn't help spacing out after a couple hours of pilots and other rebels coming up to congratulate him, or ask how he had  _ done it, _ did he really turn his computer off to hit the vent, how could he have known it would work? 

He had never been more relieved to see a Wookie towering over the rest of the heads around him, and Han took the excuse to drag him out of the crowds.

“Looking a little swamped there, kid,” Han said, leaning in towards Luke so he could hear over the noise from the rest of the room.

“It’s just.” Luke rubbed the heel of his palm against his forehead; he couldn't remember the last time he had been around so many people, at all, let alone all trying to talk to him. “A lot?”

“Yeah, don’t let it go to your head.”

“I don’t think I could get used to this if I wanted to.”

Han huffed a laugh, and his hand at the small of Luke’s back made his skin tingle.

Chewie nodded towards the exit, and the two of them sped up to meet him, Han scritching at the sliver of skin between Luke's shirt and his pants before dropping his hand to his side.

It took getting outside for Luke to realize how much all the noise in the room had made his head start to pound, and he rubbed his fingertips over his temples, blinking against the natural light.

“Do you know where Leia is?”

Han shrugged, but Chewie growled something Luke didn’t understand, nodding at him a couple seconds later.

“Should be here soon,” Han leaned in to explain. “You get something to eat?”

Chewie growled and nodded again, gesturing broadly in front of himself with a toothy grin.

“We got snacks,” Han translated.

Luke saw Chewie’s eyes flick too low to be looking at his face, and he remembered all the spots on his neck, too overwhelmed back inside base to have remembered them with the other rebels and pilots. He ducked his head, rubbing awkwardly at his neck, and Chewie’s huff sounded something like a laugh.

The three of them split apart to let a couple other rebels pass by to get into base; Han pulled them off to the side, leaning against the wall out of the way of the busy doors.

“So, where--?” Luke started, but Han cut him off with a shout and a wave, looking somewhere behind him.

Luke turned around to see Leia heading towards them, flyaways peeking out around the edges of her braid.

“Ready?” Han asked, and Leia nodded, rubbing the heel of her palm against her forehead with a deep breath that looked more like a yawn.

“I need to be back by this evening.”

“That’s plenty of time.” Han pushed himself away from the wall and rubbed his hands together. “Let’s go.”

Luke and Leia followed a couple steps behind Han and Chewie, both of them silent most of the walk back to the Falcon; the quiet sense of relief from Leia was clear that she needed a breather from having to give orders, from being there for the ones mourning their dead before she got the chance to mourn her own.

She handled it with such a grace, Luke thought, but it made his heart hurt that she would know how to, with something like that.

Han and Chewie talking ahead of them was a comfortable white noise until they made it to the Falcon, and he turned around to face Leia and Luke, walking backwards a few steps before almost tripping on a rock.

“No destination, princess, you got any requests?”

Leia shrugged and shook her head. “No one filled me in on the tourist attractions here.”

Han nodded and made a face like he was trying to stifle a laugh, cramming his hands in his pockets while Chewie lowered the loading ramp. “Okay, yeah--”

The ramp rattled to the ground, and Chewie grunted something at Han on his way up.

“See, there we go.” Han followed behind Chewie and stopped at the top to let Leia and Luke pass him. “Someone's paying attention.”

“Where are we going?” Luke asked.

Han opened his mouth to answer before snapping it shut again, giving Luke a look he couldn't quite read. “Surprise.”

Luke saw Leia's shoulders shift with a deep sigh. “I really have to--”

“Yeah, responsibilities, it’s five minutes away.” Han sped up a bit to follow Chewie into the cockpit. “You got no faith in me.”

“Well…” Leia said slowly, settling into the seat behind Chewie’s; Han was laughing again while they powered up the engines.

Luke's teeth clacked together during the takeoff, the ship rumbling indignantly like it was fighting to get out of the atmosphere, and it took a couple minutes of swears and frustrated smacks against the dashboard before it settled into a tolerable hum.

Luke couldn’t help craning his neck until it ached to stare out the front view glass, all the trees and the plants that Luke couldn't even think of identifying blurred together into one big mass of  _ green; _ Luke would have felt like he was flying even with his feet flat on the ground.

He could see Han looking at him in the reflection of the glass, just for a second, and Luke wasn't sure how someone could look so warm and so sad at the same time.

“Alright, kid, turn around,” Han said after another couple minutes. “We’re getting close.”

“What?”

“I said it’s a surprise, didn’t I?”

Luke rolled his eyes, toeing along the floor to twist the chair around to face the hallway.

He'd only been turned around for a few seconds before he felt the sharp lurch of the ship descending a little too quickly. He had to grab tight onto the armrest to keep from tipping forward when it leveled out to sink to the ground, settling down with a heavy  _ fwump. _

“Oh,” Leia breathed out slowly.

“You can look,” Han said.

Luke scooted the chair back around to face the front, and he didn't even make it all the way before his jaw dropped.

Luke didn't think he had ever seen so much green, but the  _ water. _

Everything looked much more solid than Tatooine; huge boulders and towering rock formations where he was used to sand clumps and dunes and stone soft enough to be carved by the wind, thick roots to thicker trees clinging tight around the rocks and tangling into the pool at the bottom of a crashing waterfall. Even the colors felt bigger, endless different shades of green where he was used to the same handful of sandy yellows and beige repeated everywhere he looked.

Luke didn't realize he'd forgotten to breathe until Han got up and nudged his shoulder.

“You want to do more than just stare?”

Luke scrambled out of the seat so fast he almost tripped on his way out to the loading ramp.

He was practically bouncing on his heels when he turned around to wait for the rest of them to catch up, but he didn't miss Chewie’s hand drop from giving Leia's shoulder a quick squeeze.

Han smacked the switch to lower the ramp, and Luke could barely wait for it to hit the ground before rushing out, shimmying his boots side-to-side in the soft, wet dirt, so foreign and bouncy compared to the constantly shifting and slipping sand he was used to.

Luke had never really thought of colors having a smell, but when he closed his eyes, the air smelled green.

He couldn't wait for everyone else before running around the side of the Falcon towards the waterfall, almost slipping on a mossy patch that he stopped to stare at for a couple seconds before continuing on, toeing at the damp dirt underneath the green he’d accidentally kicked up.

He he had to hold his arms out for balance when he skidded to a stop at the edge of the pool, taking a step back from the muddy slope.

“Don't go falling in there,” Han said behind him.

Luke was grinning from ear to ear when he turned around. “It's so  _ clear!” _

Han laughed and shook his head, but his smile back was so warm.

Luke turned back towards the water, slowly inching forward to keep from slipping on the mud and wet leaves, poking the toe of his boot at the edge of the water before jerking back to watch the ripples.

Luke suddenly wished he knew how to swim.

He was almost startled forward by Han’s hand at the back of his shirt, tugging him back a bit.

“Hey--”

“That’ll get deep real fast,” Han said, and he didn’t move his hand from Luke's back, rubbing his thumb over the bumps of his spine.

Luke shivered and stepped back from the edge of the water, looking over his shoulder at the water before following Han back to the others.

Chewie had stretched out on the grass with his eyes closed, the light shining through his fur making him look blurred and fuzzy at the edges; Leia was sitting on a boulder nearby, absently kicking her heels against the bottom of it until she saw Han and Luke coming over.

“Good idea, huh?” Han asked, and he was grinning when Luke looked up at him.

“Pretty good,” Leia said, standing up and wiping at some dust on the side of her pants from the boulder. “I haven’t left base since we got here, it’s--this is nice.”

“What’d I say?”

Leia rolled her eyes, but the corner of her mouth twitched like she was holding back a smile.

“Oh!” Han clapped his hand down on Luke's shoulder and pointed at Chewie. “Snacks.”

Chewie shook his head and grumbled at him without opening his eyes.

“Come on, I need those big strong arms.”

Chewie grunted, and Leia had to hold her hand in front of her mouth to try to cover a laugh.

“You can hold more than me, buddy--”

Chewie pushed himself up with a grumble before making his way towards the Falcon.

“You hold tight,” Han said; he glanced down towards Luke's mouth, and then at Leia, and he bumped his knuckles against Luke's before following after Chewie.

Luke bit back a smile before heading over to Leia. He sat down on the edge of the boulder to leave space, gesturing for her to sit back down. 

He didn't say anything at first, letting the constant chirping of bugs and birds fill the silence before he asked, “How are you?”

Leia looked almost confused when she looked up at him. “I'm. Fine, how are--”

“No, like.” Luke frowned and looked over to where Han and Chewie had gone, too far to hear them. “Like.  _ Really, _ how are you?”

He could see Leia's jaw clench, just slightly, hardly enough to notice if he hadn't been paying attention.

“How are  _ you?” _ she asked.

“Leia, come on--”

Leia raised her eyebrows expectantly.

Luke let out a deep sigh and shrugged. “Could be better.”

“Yeah,” Leia said simply, and Luke felt like his heart dropped to his stomach.

The quiet hung heavy and thick between them, the bugs and the birds seeming somehow louder than before.

Luke hesitated for a second before he reached for Leia's hand, gently lacing their fingers together, giving a soft squeeze when she didn't pull away.

“I’m sorry.”

Leia didn't respond right away, still as a statue before she slumped against Luke's side. “Me too.”

“You know you can talk about it, right? You don't have to just...put on a brave face like nothing happened.”

Leia snorted. “I wish that was the case.” She paused, holding Luke's hand a little tighter. “I'm not sure I know how.”

Luke nodded and looked over to the Falcon again; the loading ramp was still lowered, Han and Chewie still inside.

“It was just.” Leia's voice cracked, and Luke could feel her shoulders lift with a deep breath. “It was there, it was right there, and then it was just.  _ Not.” _ She stopped for a second, took another few breaths. “What do you even say about that?”

Luke looked down at their hands, Leia gripping his so tight his knuckles felt sore. “I don't know.”

“Sometimes,” Leia started, her voice shaky before she cleared her throat. “Sometimes it feels like they're--like it’s still there. When I first wake up. And then I remember it’s not, and  _ everyone…” _ She cut herself off when her voice cracked again, shaking her head to herself. “I don’t know.”

Luke's chest ached. “I'm not going to say I understand--’cause I don't, I don't think--” He stopped, frowning to himself while he scrambled for the right words. “I know you have to act like you have your shit all together, and you're fine, but you don't have to with me.”

Leia was silent, but she leaned her head on Luke's shoulder, and Luke could feel her nod.

She was startled upright by the sound of the loading ramp being closed, pulling her hand back when Han and Chewie made their way over.

Chewie had his arms full with bags and packets of food, but Han quickly shoved the only thing he was holding into his back pocket.

He’d left the vest, sleeves rolled up to his elbows, and Luke had to remind himself not to stare.

“Pick your poison,” Han said, gesturing grandly at the mound of snacks Chewie was holding.

Chewie grunted, and Han nodded, hands on his hips while he looked around them.

“There,” he said, pointing to a large slab of rock hanging over the pool at the bottom of the waterfall. “Let’s go.”

Luke hopped off the boulder, and Leia stood up before he could hold a hand out for her.

They followed a few feet behind Han and Chewie, carefully winding around the edge of the pool until they made it to the rock; it was just wide enough to fit all four of them, Luke crammed between Han and Leia with Chewie on Han’s other side.

Chewie dropped the bags of snacks behind him, pushing a few towards Leia so she wouldn't have to reach so far, and Han pulled a small plastic bag from his pocket.

Leia wrinkled her nose. “What is that?”

“Take a wild guess,” Han said; the smell tingled in Luke's nose when Han opened the bag, thick and sickly sweet and stronger than any of the spice he’d been able to get his hands on back home. “I brought to share.”

“Some of us have work to do later,” Leia said, reaching behind Luke for a bag of crackers.

“Which is why I'm sharing  _ now,” _ Han said, “and not when you have to leave.”

Leia hummed indecisively and leaned over to watch Han.

He pulled out a small packet of rolling papers from the bag with the spice, balancing the bag and the packet on his legs while he rolled a tight, thick joint, tucking it behind his ear to roll a second before closing the bag and setting it down behind him. He kept the second joint between his lips while he patted down his pockets for a lighter, and the smell once it was lit made Luke's sinuses itch.

Han took a couple drags, holding his breath while he held the joint out for Chewie, and then Luke when Chewie shook his head.

Luke had to close his eyes against the smoke while he took a hit, stiffening up against the cough building in his chest; he held it in as long as he could before Han rubbed at his back, startling the breath out of him with a puff of smoke and a shaky cough.

“Oh, that's--” He covered his mouth, holding back another cough.

“Not what you'd get on Tatooine,” Han said; he still didn't move his hand from Luke's back.

Luke huffed a laugh and nodded. He waited for his throat to stop feeling so scratchy before taking another hit, holding his breath when he held the joint out for Leia.

She hesitated, and then she set down the bag of crackers with a slow sigh, pinching the joint between her fingertips.

“Yeah, alright.”

Han grinned.

They waited.

Luke couldn't help staring at the way Leia took such a long hit he almost thought she’d finish off the joint in one go.

They waited some more.

Han laughed and shook his head. “Are you--?”

“Hold on,” Leia croaked, only a thin trail of smoke leaving her mouth.

She finally exhaled a few seconds later, only waiting a couple breaths before taking another hit.

“Someone knows what they're doing,” Han said, and Luke couldn’t hold back a shiver when Han started trailing his fingers along his spine.

Leia held her free hand up for them to wait until she breathed out another cloud of smoke, with a rough, “It’s been a long few days.”

“No shit.” Han pulled the first joint from behind his ear, only moving his hand from Luke's back to block the wind so he could light it. “You can keep that one.”

“I can't finish--”

“Never said you had to finish it,” Han said, muffled slightly by the joint between his lips. “Not right now, at least. You just don't have to pass it.”

Leia hummed and took another hit.

Luke could already feel himself getting fuzzy when Han handed the joint off to Chewie, and then back to him, that next hit a little easier than the first two.

Leia linked her arm with Luke's, leaning against his side; he didn't realize how loose and droopy he felt until Han nudged him from where he was slumped against Han’s shoulder, blinking a couple times at the joint before he realized Han was holding it out to him.

He managed to keep from coughing that time, watching the smoke dissipate when he exhaled.

“That's really good,” he mumbled, taking another hit before handing it back to Han; he couldn't help smiling when he felt Leia shake with a laugh, too warmed by the fact that it was the first real laugh he’d heard from her to care that she was laughing at him.

Han grinned and nudged his knee against Luke's, bumping his nose against the side of his face, almost a kiss before Leia threw a cracker at them.

“He’s only had the shitty cheap stuff before,” Han said, blowing smoke out of the side of his mouth to keep it out of Luke's face. “Be nice.”

Leia squeezed her arm around Luke's. “Hey.”

Han held the joint out in front of Luke, and he leaned forward to take a hit before turning to face her. “Mm?”

“Is this really your first time off Tatooine?”

Luke faced forward again with a shrug, breathing out a few seconds later. “Yeah.”

“What do you think?”

“Huh?”

“Do you like it?”

Luke tilted his head; Leia just looked at him expectantly, her eyes tinged the slightest bit pink.

“I like this,” Luke said eventually. “I like here.”

Leia nodded decisively, and she took another hit, and it felt like he had given the right answer.

Leia tapped her joint against the rock to put it out once she was about halfway through it; Han held his out for Luke, close to his face so he wouldn't have to take it and burn his fingers, then handing it back to Chewie to finish it off.

Leia held the remaining half of hers out for Han, but he shook his head.

“Keep it.”

Leia nodded and tucked it behind her ear.

None of them said anything for a few minutes, and Luke almost felt like he was about to doze off, his head on Han’s shoulder when Leia shook his arm.

“We should look around,” she said, hauling Luke up from Han’s side until he was sitting upright. “You've barely seen anything here.”

Leia stood up before he could respond, holding a hand out to help him up. She had to grab his arm to hold him steady, stumbling a little on his way up.

“Hey, Chewie,” Han said, pocketing the bag of spice when he stood up. “Coming?”

Chewie grunted and shook his head, stretching out along the rock once he had the space.

“Yeah, thought so.”

They only made it a few steps away before Han turned back for a couple snack cakes.

They wound around the edge of the pool, sidestepping slippery rocks and tugging Luke out of the way when he mistook a patch of algae for grass.

“It looked like--”

“It's not, though,” Leia said, tapping the toe of her boot to the edge of the water, and Luke had to blink a couple times at the way the algae rippled on the surface, rubbing at his eyes with the back of his hand.

“It’s so green,” he said quietly, crouching down to trail his fingers over the water, tiny clumps of algae sticking to his hand.

He was almost too distracted to hear Han saying something behind him, and Leia smacking his arm, and then Han’s whispered, “It’s cute, shut up.”

Han tapped Luke's shoulder and held out a hand to pull him up.

“Gonna look at that all day?”

Luke had to hold onto Han’s hand for a second once he was upright, squeezing his eyes shut against the way his head spun.

Leia pointed out the different trees and plants she knew the names of--and no, you really don't want to eat those--while they made their way towards the waterfall; Luke stopped a little ways back, pulling at Han and Leia's sleeves to get them to slow down, shivering at the mist breezing back against his face.

“Look at that.”

Han looked at Luke and then back to the waterfall. “What?”

“That.” 

Han shrugged, and Luke stepped back to tug Han to where he'd just been standing. 

_ “That.” _

Luke pointed, and Han had to duck his head to get at the right angle to see how the light refracted at the edge of the waterfall, strips of color fanning out over the mist.

“You never…?” Han started, trailing off when Luke just looked blankly at him.

“You know how that works?” Leia asked, holding her hand out into the mist until it was damp.

“I’ve heard of it,” Luke said, craning his neck to watch the rainbow stretching over the top of the waterfall. “Just never  _ saw _ it. Not for real.”

Luke took a step forward without looking, but Han pulled him back by the back of his shirt before he’d put his foot down.

“Gonna guess you don't know how to swim.”

Luke stumbled back, looking down at where he’d almost stepped into the water with a soft, “Oh.”

Leia started walking again around the edge of the pool, towards the waterfall; Han nudged Luke to follow with a hand at his lower back, his fingertips trailing over his skin just above his waistband making Luke shiver.

Leia stopped where the ground lifted up to the cliff; Luke could see the mist condensing into tiny droplets on her eyelashes when she looked up.

“Sometimes there's space back there,” she said, pointing at the waterfall, and Han bit back a groan when she started clamoring over the rocks at the edge of the pool, visibly slippery and damp.

“You sure that's a good idea?”

“Only if you're not a baby about it.”

Han snorted a laugh and shook his head, following her as far as he could go before hitting the water.

Luke could hear the waterfall crashing like thunder, and his breath caught in his throat when he saw Leia disappear beneath it, certain it would knock her down until he heard her shout, “There  _ is _ a space here!”

“Ah, hell,” Han mumbled, carefully stepping along the rocks to follow her. He turned to hold a hand out for Luke. “Don't step where I haven’t first.”

Luke nodded, and Han didn't say anything about how tightly Luke was holding his hand.

There was just enough space behind the waterfall to sit down, the overhang set deep enough into the cliffside that only Leia's shoes looked wet, her legs dangling over the edge.

“Nice place you got here,” Han said, and Luke only realized he was still holding Han’s hand when Han used his other to shake the water from his hair; he dropped his arm at his side, looking away until his cheeks didn't feel so hot.

Leia shot them a grin, taking what was left of the joint from behind her ear to stick between her teeth. 

“Still got that lighter?”

Han tapped down his pockets until he found one for her. “What happened to not being able to finish that?”

Leia’s face was lit up in yellow when she shrugged. “Changed my mind.”

Han held onto Luke's arm while he sat down to keep him steady, almost slipping on the damp rock.

Leia coughed and waved her hand in front of her face when the smoke blew back at her, holding the joint out for Luke, leaning over him to give it to Han when Luke shook his head.

Han took a couple hits before handing it back to Leia; he reached behind Luke instead of over, sneaking a quick kiss to his cheek when Leia wasn't looking.

Luke felt warm even through the chill from the waterfall.

He couldn’t tell if it was the haze from the spice, or being away from base and everything else he had to worry about, or just the snug warmness, sandwiched between Han and Leia; everything about that moment felt safe and soft, down to the mist breezing back against his face and the smoke stinging his eyes whenever Leia exhaled a little too close to him.

He could stay there forever, he thought, and given the choice, he probably would.

Leia swore under her breath and wiped at a clump of ash that had fallen onto her pants, wincing when the joint burned down close to her fingertips. She got in one last hit before it was finished, leaning over to swat at Han's leg.

“You brought those cakes, right?”

“Redberry or cocoa.”

“Berry me.”

Han looked like he was about to toss it to her before thinking better of it and passing it over Luke.

It took a second for the words to sink in through the haze in his head, and he sat up a little straighter at the sound of Han unwrapping the other cake.

“Is that real chocolate?”

Han raised an eyebrow, pulling it apart into halfs to give one to Luke. “Why wouldn't it be?”

Luke groaned delightedly at the first bite, crumbs sticking around his mouth, leaning his head against Han’s shoulder. “This was so hard to get back home.”

He felt Han’s laugh more than he heard it, smiling to himself when Han nuzzled a kiss to the top of his head with a mumbled, “You're cute when you're high.”

Luke jerked back when he felt something against his head, shaking a few crumbs out of his hair.

“Get a room.”

“This is kind of a room,” Han said, gesturing behind him. “You got walls--”

“I found it first, this is  _ my _ house.”

Han snickered around a too-big bite of cake. “Yeah, alright, princess.”

Leia went still against Luke's side, her hands frozen in place for a second before she stiffly brought the cake to her mouth.

Luke frowned and nudged his elbow against Leia's. “Are you--?”

“Not really a princess anymore,” she said, muffled around the food in her mouth, and her tone made it clear that there was nothing else to be said about it.

Luke linked his arm with Leia's, pulling her close against his side, and they were quiet until they finished their cakes.

Leia shook the empty wrapper free of crumbs and folded it into her pocket, giving Luke's arm a squeeze before carefully standing up, bracing herself against the wall to keep steady.

“My socks are getting wet,” she said, brushing her free hand off on her pants.

Han stood up and stretched his shoulders before leading Luke out behind him, loosely holding Luke's hand--just in case, you know, it’s slippery.

Han shook the damp from his hair, pulling Luke out of the way with a hand at his waist so Leia could follow them out from behind the waterfall.

“We can’t have been here that long--” she started before looking up at the sky with a frown. “Oh.”

Luke was about to ask what she meant when she pointed up, to the heavy-looking clouds that had collected while they were behind the waterfall, thick enough to make it look like the sun was already setting.

“We should get back.”

“No, come on,” Han said, “we  _ haven't _ been here that long.”

“I meant to the Falcon,” Leia said, blinking when a drop of water hit between her eyes. “Unless you want to get rained on.”

Luke jumped at the feeling of a drop on the top of his head.

“Yeah, alright,” Han said, giving Luke's sleeve a tug to pull him back in the direction of the Falcon, but Luke dug his heels into the ground.

“Wait, wait.” Luke tilted his face up, staring up at the sky until he felt another two drops hitting his face, standing up on his toes with a delighted yelp as if it could get him closer to the clouds. “It’s just coming  _ right down!” _

Han huffed a laugh and pulled his sleeves down with a shiver. “What else would it do?”

Luke closed his eyes and waited for the next few drops. “Not that.”

Luke looked back to the other two; Han’s eyes were crinkled at the corners with a smile he tried to hide.

“It’ll be raining back at the ship, too,” he said, tugging at Luke's sleeve again until he started walking. “You can get as soaked as you like,  _ I'm _ staying nice and dry.”

The few drops here and there turned into a downpour without much warning; they sped up towards the Falcon, breaking into a run at a crash of thunder loud enough to make the ground shake.

The loading ramp was down, Chewie already inside, holding a hand out for Han when he slipped on a wet patch on his way up.

Luke turned around as soon as he was at the top, holding his hand out to watch the water drip into a puddle in his palm.

The only storms he'd experienced through anything but a hologram were nothing but sand and dust and lightning, and the inability to go outside without a mask, if at all; the holos he'd seen were nothing on this, the sweet, electric smell in the air, more water coming down than he would see in weeks back home.

Luke took a step back out, shivering from the way his clothes clung to his skin more than the chill brought on by the rain.

“I need a towel,” Han grumbled. “Don't drown out there.”

Luke skidded down the ramp and splashed into a puddle on the ground. Han and Chewie had already left when he turned around, Leia sitting cross-legged at the top, pulling her hair out of the braid to dry.

“Tatooine doesn’t get much rain, does it?”

Luke shook his head, grinning at the way it sent little droplets of water from his hair; he shook his head a second time just for fun.

“There's so  _ much _ of it.”

Leia carded her fingers through her hair, tossing it over her shoulder; her smile then reached her eyes, and Luke felt warm.

Han was in a new shirt when he came back out, dropping a towel into Leia's lap. “We’re gonna have to wring you out if you don't get in here soon, kid.”

Luke was about to protest when another clap of thunder shook the ground again, and he only just made it inside when the rain turned into buckets, too much to see far from the Falcon.

It hadn't felt so cold while he was out in the rain, and Luke didn't realize he was shivering until Han wrapped another towel tightly around his shoulders.

“Let’s get you something you won't freeze in,” Han said, ruffling Luke's hair to shake out some of the wet before looking down to Leia. “You want a sweatshirt or something?”

Leia shook her head and scrunched the towel in her hair. “No, thanks.”

Han led Luke down the hallway to his bunk, glancing behind him to check that Leia wouldn't see when he pulled Luke close by the towel around his shoulders, pushing his hair out of his eyes.

“Had fun out there?”

Luke leaned up on his toes until they were close enough their lips were almost touching. “Mmhm.”

Luke could feel Han smiling, so close and warm it chased the chill from his face and that pale blue tint from his lips the longer Han kissed him. He hooked his fingers in Han’s belt loops, pushing closer to the warmth he could feel through Han’s shirt, and Han broke the kiss with a soft, frustrated sound.

“As much as I like doing that,” he said, still so close Luke could feel his mouth moving, “and it is a lot--”

Luke leaned up for another quick kiss before pulling the towel tighter around his shoulders; there was a damp patch on Han’s shirt from where Luke had leaned a little too close. He tried to stifle a shiver as he pulled Han to his bunk.

Luke stayed by the door while Han looked around for another shirt before he stopped to look back to Luke.

“Gonna need more than that,” he mumbled to himself.

Luke bit back a  _ sorry _ when Han held up another pair of pants, pulling the waist taut before he nodded to himself.

“That shouldn't be too big,” he said, handing them over to Luke, and then the shirt. “You know you gotta get those off first?”

“Oh.” Luke looked down at himself. “Should I--?”

Han had already turned around to dig through another drawer. Luke hurriedly peeled the soaked shirt over his head, wincing at the wet  _ squelch _ in his socks when he pulled off his shoes. 

He was balancing with one leg in the dry pair of pants when Han turned back around with a sweatshirt and a pair of fuzzy socks; his expression was so warm Luke stopped for a second before almost toppling over, bracing himself against the wall.

“Doing alright there?”

Luke huffed and wiggled his ankle still stuck halfway down. “It keeps  _ sticking--” _

“Here.” Han reached out to help Luke shuffle to the bed, kneeling down in front of him to pull the pants back off. “It’ll do that, your legs are still wet.”

“Oh.” There was nowhere he could look away where Han wouldn't be able to see his face flush.

Han reached for the towel where Luke had tossed it to the foot of the bed; he scrubbed until the hair on Luke's legs was fluffed-up and dry, and Luke could feel his heartbeat speed up when Han moved to his thighs, trailing his fingers over the scattered marks he’d left on the soft, sensitive skin there the night before.

Han looked up at him, and Luke couldn’t look away.

“I think that's dry,” he said, barely more than a whisper.

“I know,” Han said, still not breaking eye contact when he pressed a kiss to Luke's knee, circling his fingertips over one of the marks on Luke's thigh. “Maybe I just like the view down here.”

Luke forced himself to ignore the impulse to tangle his fingers in Han’s hair, the heat building between his legs. _ “Han.” _

Han pushed himself up with a groan, leaning in to kiss Luke before he was fully upright.

“Get those on,” he said, and Luke didn't miss the way Han’s eyes darted down to his lips before he left Luke to finish getting dressed.

He had to roll the pants up a couple times to keep from stepping on the hems, but he left the sweatshirt as it was, pulling the sleeves over his hands when he walked back out to the hall.

Han was leaning against the wall with his arms crossed over his chest, looking out the loading ramp, Leia still sitting where she’d been before Luke had gone to get changed.

“I don't think this is stopping anytime soon,” Han said.

The rain was coming down just as hard, the air damp even inside. Luke couldn't see much further than the bottom of the loading ramp when he looked out.

“We could go back,” Han started, looking down to Leia, “if you…?”

She shrugged. “Is there any more food?”

“Just the snacks,” Han said. “Oh--and--hang on.”

He had already left down the hall before Leia could ask what he was talking about.

Luke sat down on the floor next to her, pulling his knees to his chest, his legs just out of reach of the water pouring down from the top of the ship.

Leia only glanced over when he sat down before looking back out.

“Did it rain like this back, um--on Alderaan too?”

“Sometimes,” Leia said quietly.

Luke scooted a little closer to her, and he didn't say anything else about it.

He heard Han’s footsteps a few minutes later, slow and shuffling with three chipped, mismatched mugs balanced between his hands.

“Little help?”

Luke scrambled up to take the mug that looked closest to slipping; he could smell it before he saw it, and he already knew the answer when he asked, “Is this--?”

“Since you've been so deprived,” Han said, sitting down and passing the last mug over to Leia, “yes, it is.”

Luke sat down between them as carefully as he could to keep from spilling it. He and Leia both held their mugs tight between both hands, holding them close so the steam warmed their faces; Han didn't waste any time burning his mouth.

Luke couldn’t remember the last time he’d had hot chocolate.

The rain finally slowed down to a drizzle by the time he finished, after both Han and Leia's mugs had gone cold. He scooped up the sludge at the bottom of his mug with his fingertips, and Han pushed his over without Luke having to ask first.

“That was so good,” he mumbled, muffled around his fingers.

“And that's just the instant stuff,” Han pointed out, standing up to take the mugs back.

Leia wrung the towel Han had given her between her hands before standing up too.

“It’s getting kind of late,” she said. “I think I should go. Before it starts again.”

Han frowned, but he nodded. “I’ll tell Chewie to get the engines going. You can stay here, if you want,” he said to Luke. “This’ll be real quick.”

Luke gestured behind him to the rain, still pattering down against the loading ramp. “What about--?”

“I’ve got something for that, hold on.”

Leia waited until Han was down the hall before turning to Luke. “Thank you, for today.”

“Oh, this was Han’s--”

Leia raised her eyebrows; Luke cut himself off with a nod.

“I'm glad you decided to come.”

Leia smiled, and it almost reached her eyes. “Can't just leave you two running off who-knows-where.”

Han came back in before Luke could say anything else, holding out a thin metal rod for him.

“You just pop this open,” he said, twisting the handle, and a burst of air puffed against Luke's face before Han held it upright. “That--sorry--that should work until I'm back.”

Luke nodded and took the rod from Han, tentatively holding it out into the rain; the water slid over it in a dome, the air coming out at the top pushing the rain away like a tarp.

“Oh!”

Han grinned, his smile faltering when he looked over to Leia, tilting his head towards the cockpit.

“Good to go?”

Leia nodded, reaching out to give Luke's free hand a quick squeeze. “I’ll see you tomorrow.”

“Try to stick around here,” Han shouted to Luke on his way down the loading ramp.

They waited until Luke was out of the way before heading to the cockpit; he had to run back a few extra steps to avoid the water streaming off the top of the Falcon while it took off, the front of his pants damp from the water it kicked up off the ground.

Luke watched until the Falcon disappeared over the trees; the rain had died down from being too thick to see through, and he could hear the waterfall crashing louder than before, even from where he was standing.

Luke shivered and pulled Han’s sweatshirt tighter around himself while he walked back to the pool.

The rain had kicked up the silt at the bottom until it was dim and murky, where it had been clear as glass before; Luke kicked at a rock by the edge of the pool, nudging it into the water, and he couldn’t see where it had gone as soon as it passed the surface.

He’d almost kicked at a second rock when there was a loud  _ splash _ near the center.

He froze.

He couldn’t see anything but the froth churned up by the waterfall, tiny ripples from the light rain; he wasn't sure what he would do if he  _ did _ see anything, but he hadn't seen much in the trash compactor, either--

Luke shuddered and took a few steps back.

He tried to ignore that part of him saying he should have stayed on the Falcon.

He took a deep breath and shook his head, turning around to walk the other way. 

The trees were so thick that Luke couldn’t walk very far without feeling lost, finding his way back to the clearing by the sound of the waterfall. The warm, fuzzy haze from the spice earlier had started to fade, leaving him dull and tired; he was almost considering getting his pants again wet to sit down somewhere when he heard the thrum of a ship heading towards him.

The Falcon appeared over the trees a few seconds later, and Luke darted out of the way, squinting against the wind kicked up by the landing.

Luke walked over to a few feet from the loading ramp while it lowered, but Han was alone when he came down.

“Where's Chewie?” 

Han shrugged. “Back making friends. You probably don't need that anymore,” he said, gesturing to the rod Luke had balanced on his shoulder.

“Oh.” The rain had died down to little more than a mist without him realizing; he twisted the handle to stop the air jets at the top, and Han’s hand lingered on his own when he gave it back. “Thanks.”

“Don’t mention it.” Han tugged him closer by the collar of his sweatshirt, rubbing his thumb over one of the marks on Luke's neck. “Having fun?”

“Mmhm.” Luke ducked his head to try to cover the heat he could feel creeping up his cheeks. “I think there's something in there,” he added, nodding towards the pool.

“That much water usually has a few somethings,” Han said, but his smile fell flat when Luke tried to hide a frown. “Probably just a fish.”

Han leaned in to kiss him before Luke could turn back to look.

“Nothing you gotta worry about.”

Luke leaned up on his toes, his hands at Han's hips, and it didn't take much to push the thought from his mind.

Han broke the kiss with a sigh, kissing his cheek before taking a few steps back. “Just gotta put this back.”

He left it at the top of the loading ramp before coming right back, sliding down the last couple feet at the bottom; Luke almost toppled into him when Han pulled him close, winding his arms around Luke's waist.

“That's better.”

Luke could feel him smiling.

Han slid his hands down to Luke's hips, his fingertips skating just under Luke's shirt making him shiver; Luke almost thought he’d gotten away with his stomach rumbling without Han noticing, but he pulled away, just out of reach for Luke to kiss him again.

“I brought dinner.”

“It’s that late already?”

“Not that you’d be able to tell,” Han said, looking up to where the thick clouds had already been blocking the sun. He leaned in for another quick kiss before loosely linking his fingers with Luke's to lead him back to the Falcon.

Han left Luke by the loading ramp, coming back from the cockpit a few seconds later with a bag in one hand and a large bottle in the other. He sat down next to where Luke was looking out the loading ramp, scooting closer until their legs were touching.

“Got you more of that juice,” he said, balancing the bag between both of their legs to pull out a sandwich, and Luke had to remind himself not to down half the bottle in one go.

He hadn't realized how hungry he was until he started eating, and then it was too hungry to slow down enough to talk.

They were both quiet until they were done, tearing a third sandwich in half to split between the two of them.

Luke could tell when the sun must have dipped below the horizon when the clouds went from a thick gray to blue-black, pulling his sweatshirt tighter around his shoulders at the damp chill it brought on. He wasn't going to say anything about it until he felt Han shiver, shuffling a little closer.

“Are you cold?”

Han shivered again. “No.”

Luke stifled a laugh and reached up to trail his fingers over the back of Han’s neck.

“Hells--fine, yes, it’s cold. Fuckin’ ice fingers.”

Luke stood up and stretched his shoulders, holding a hand out to help Han up. Han almost knocked him off balance when he yanked Luke close as soon as he was upright, pulling him in for a kiss.

Luke wound his arms around Han’s waist, fingertips dipping just below his waistband; Han shivered and pressed forward, squirming a little from how cold Luke's hands were before breaking the kiss with a huff.

“We need to get you warmed up,” he murmured, a rough edge to his voice that made Luke’s chest feel tingly.

“Need to get  _ you _ warmed up,” Luke said, sliding his hand up the back of Han’s shirt. He pulled his hand back and leaned up for another kiss when Han shuddered, lightly smacking at Luke's shoulder.

“Yeah, alright.” Han leaned in to kiss him again before hitting the switch to close the loading ramp.

Luke suddenly remembered the night before, walking down the hall to Han’s bunk, Han’s hand at his lower back just the same; it was softer this time, slower, without the rush of the last few days keeping them going and the uncertainty of where it would take them.

They kicked off their shoes before sitting down on the bed and scooting back to lean against the wall. Han held Luke's hand between both of his, trailing his fingers over Luke's knuckles.

“So,” Han said slowly, turning to face him more, close enough his eyes started to cross when he glanced down to Luke's lips.

“So.”

Luke held his breath when Han leaned in, almost kissing him, still so close Luke could feel his lips moving when he said, “We can go back whenever we want tomorrow.”

Luke hummed and tilted his chin up to kiss him properly.

Han let go of Luke's hand to cup his jaw, brushing his hair back behind his ear; he kissed Luke slow and lazy, none of the rush from the night before, and  _ tomorrow _ felt like all the time in the world right then.

Han stopped abruptly, tweaking Luke's bottom lip between his teeth while he pulled away.

“You ever shotgunned?”

“I--what?”

“The--with the smoke, and the…” He leaned in for another kiss before pulling away again, raising an eyebrow when Luke didn't respond. “Guess not.”

Luke shrugged.

“Hang on.” Han kissed him again and pushed up off the bed, digging through one of the drawers underneath it. He tapped at his back pocket before standing up again, kicking the drawer shut and dropping back down next to Luke.

He pulled his legs up under him, and Luke did the same, turning to face him straight-on. Luke shuffled forward until their knees bumped.

Han left the bag of spice from earlier next to him on the bed, picking at something stuck to the end of a small glass pipe before packing the bowl of it. It looked like it used to be clear, smudged and foggy on the inside until it was a brownish gray.

“Now you just breathe in,” Han said, fishing through his pockets for a lighter, “when I breathe out.”

“How is that supposed to--?”

Han took a hit before Luke could finish, holding up his free hand for Luke to wait.

Han held the pipe away from his mouth while he pulled a deep breath in, holding it for a second before pulling Luke close by the front of his shirt to kiss him.

Almost a kiss, Luke thought, until he felt Han’s lips part, only remembering to breathe in at the last moment.

Han didn't pull back yet, kissing him until Luke's lungs started to ache and he broke away with a gasp.

He couldn't help being a little surprised at the smoke coming out when he exhaled.

Han grinned and leaned in to kiss him again once he'd caught his breath, and Luke caught a taste of the smoke on Han’s lips before he’d kissed it away.

It took a few tries for Luke to pull back, always leaning back in for another kiss before he finally managed to get out, “Let me try.”

Han kissed him again before giving him the pipe and the lighter.

“Hold your thumb over the--”

“I know,” Luke said, muffled around the end of the pipe. He flicked the lighter a couple times, and then again, when his hand slipped from the way Han was looking at him, his eyes half-lidded and his expression somewhere between warm and hungry.

He had to stifle a cough, the smoke scratching down his throat more than it had with the joints earlier. He held it until his chest settled, pulling Han in to pass it to him, their noses knocking together from the awkward angle.

Han stayed put until Luke exhaled, only breaking away for a second to clamor into Luke's lap, muffling the soft, startled sound it knocked out of him with another kiss.

He pulled back a few seconds later to breathe out, settling comfortably on Luke's thighs, toying with the collar of his borrowed sweatshirt.

“Looks like you got the hang of it,” he murmured.

Luke tilted his chin up to meet Han halfway, only remembering the pipe in his hand when he reached for Han’s hips.

“Here, you--” He was cut off when Han kissed him again. “You do it.”

Luke kneaded at Han’s hips as soon as his hands were free; he dipped his fingers down into his waistband, grinning to himself at the way Han’s eyes flickered shut, shifting against Luke's hands.

Luke couldn’t look away while Han took that next hit, the way his shoulders lifted on a deepdeep breath, Adam's apple bobbing slightly when he held the pipe off to the side. He leaned in to kiss Luke, still holding it; Luke wasn't sure when he was supposed to inhale until Han rocked his hips down against him, breathing out when Luke gasped.

Han didn't pause before kissing him again, waiting for Luke to pull away first. He barely gave himself time to catch his breath, leaning up to keep kissing Han, slipping his hands down to palm at Han’s ass.

Han’s voice cracked on a moan; he had to spread his legs a bit to keep from knocking his knees against the wall when he pressed closer, rolling his hips against Luke before breaking the kiss with a soft sound like it was the last thing he wanted to do.

“Think we got one more out of this,” he said, just above a whisper.

Luke nodded shakily and leaned in to kiss him again.

Han sat up a little straighter for that last hit, and Luke didn't miss the way his hand shook around the lighter when he gave Han’s ass a quick squeeze, tugging Han against him.

He waited for Han to put the lighter down, his thumb still over the carb when Luke leaned up to kiss his neck. Han had to bite his lip to keep from exhaling too early, almost dropping the pipe in his hurry to tangle his fingers in Luke's hair, tilting his head back with a shudder.

Han tugged Luke back up with a muffled groan, kissing him open-mouthed and just a little messy before breathing the smoke out to Luke.

He held it as long as he could, more to keep kissing Han than anything else; barely any smoke came out when he pulled back to exhale, and he could feel Han grinning when he ducked down to kiss along Luke's jaw while he caught his breath.

Han pulled back to put the pipe and the lighter down out of the way, looping his arms around Luke's shoulders; he didn't kiss him yet, just looking, toying at the downy hair at the back of Luke's neck. He shifted his hand back to trace down Luke's jaw, tweaking his thumb over Luke's bottom lip before leaning in to kiss him again.

Han kissed him lazy and soft, both of them feeling slow and hazy from the spice, Luke's fingers a funny sort of tingly when he slipped his hands into Han’s back pockets.

He felt Han’s breath hitch, his arm tightening around Luke's shoulders, pressing so close Luke feel the warmth of him even through his sweatshirt. Luke squeezed at his ass again, his thumbs dipping below Han’s waistband; he could feel Han starting to get hard when he rocked forward against Luke with a sound close to a whimper muffled against Luke’s lips.

Luke shifted one of his hands from Han’s ass, cupping his dick through Han’s pants. Han broke the kiss with a gasp, his hips twitching forward to Luke's hand, and Luke couldn't help smiling even when he tilted his head up for another kiss.

He rubbed at Han's dick with the heel of his palm, slow and a little teasing; he could feel Han shudder against him, his teeth dragging over Luke's bottom lip, and he leaned his head back against the wall, just out of reach for Han to kiss him.

“Hey,” he whispered bumping his nose to Han's jaw.

Han’s eyes were half-lidded and tinged pink when he pulled back just enough to look at Luke.

“Can I…” He bit the inside of his cheek before leaning in to kiss at Han's neck; the words weren't coming to him, whether because of the spice or the spark of nervousness around what he wanted to ask. He sucked at the curve of Han’s shoulder with just enough pressure Han couldn't hold back a whine, pressing a little harder with the heel of his palm, hoping it would get the point across-- “I want to…”

Luke shivered when Han brought his hand up to his hair, rolling his hips into Luke's hand, deliberate and just a little shaky.

“You want to what?” Han asked, his voice deliciously rough, and when Luke glanced up from Han’s neck, it looked like he was smiling.

Luke huffed and dropped his forehead against Han’s shoulder, mumbling into the front of his shirt.

“Didn't catch that,” he said breathlessly, his voice cracking at the end when Luke squeezed at his ass and his dick at the same time.

Luke groaned, pushing at Han's thighs until he slid out of Luke's lap, pulling Luke down with him. Han scooted back until he was sitting up against the adjacent wall,  Luke between his legs, propped up with his elbows on either side of Han's waist.

“You had your fun yesterday,” Luke said, fumbling with Han’s belt buckle until Han reached down to do it himself.

Luke batted Han’s hand away to pop his fly open. He tugged Han's waistband just low enough to get to his dick, hot in his hand and already half hard.

He heard Han’s head  _ thunk _ back against the wall when he ducked down, laving his tongue over the tip. He bobbed his head a couple times before he managed to get most of it in his mouth, squeezing his eyes shut as he held himself there, his nose almost at Han's pelvis; he could feel Han’s dick getting fully hard in his mouth, the realization making him groan when it twitched heavy on his tongue.

He breathed through his nose as best he could before pushing himself down until his throat felt tight, pulling up with a gasp when he couldn't hold it anymore, jerking his hand over Han’s dick. He was about to duck back down again when Han’s hand came down to his hair, not pushing him, just rubbing at his scalp until Luke couldn't help leaning into his hand with a contented hum.

He mouthed along the length of Han’s dick, circling his fingers around the base when he dipped down; he pulled in a deep breath through his nose before pushing down until his lips met his fingers, pulling his hand back to Han’s hip to dip even lower. He stiffened up against the cough that wanted to come out, firmly staying put when Han tugged lightly at his hair.

“Babe--”

Han was breathing heavily when Luke looked up at him, his chest lifting on each inhale, looking down at Luke like he couldn't believe his eyes.

Luke swallowed around Han's dick, not breaking eye contact; Han’s hips twitched desperately, his free hand coming up to cover his mouth.

That was hardly fair, Luke thought.

He had to bend his wrist at an awkward angle to cup at Han's balls without stopping to pull his pants down properly, bracing his other arm on Han’s hips when he twitched up into Luke's mouth with a moan. He didn't have to--he could feel Han straining to keep still, that tug on his hair just before when it was almost too much--but Han whined when Luke held him down, dropping his hand from covering his mouth.

Luke lifted up, sucking at the head while he breathed in through his nose before dipping down again. He had to squeeze his eyes shut when he pushed himself further down, almost surprised when he felt his nose bump Han’s pelvis; he could feel Han in his throat, his chin getting wet from the spit dribbling past his lips, and  _ oh _ it had been a while but Luke could lose himself in this.

Han’s fingers twitched in Luke's hair when he hummed as he pulled back, panting around the head of Han’s dick, still not letting it leave his mouth while he caught his breath again. He caught the hot, salty taste on his tongue when he lapped over the tip, ducking back down with a groan. He squeezed his thighs tight together against that wet heat building between his legs, trying not to rock against the mattress.

His head felt wonderfully fuzzy and blank, the haze still settling from the spice mixing too too well with the lack of air between pulling up to breathe, the rush each time he did; he almost missed Han’s breathing speeding up, the cracked moans when Luke kept bobbing his head, until Han pulled at his hair just hard enough he couldn't keep himself down.

Luke kissed the pad of his thumb when Han brought his hand down to Luke's face, swiping at a drop of saliva making its way down Luke's lip.

“This is gonna be over a lot sooner than it has to be,” Han said, brushing his knuckles over Luke’s chin, “if you keep that up.”

Luke grinned and pressed a kiss to the base of Han’s dick. “Gonna do something about it?”

Han bit back a groan and hauled Luke out of his lap, the lighter clattering to the floor when Luke went to lie down; his breath caught in his throat when Han stood up, his dick peeking out over his waistband before he got his pants off, bobbing up against his belly when he pulled his shirt over his head.

Luke lifted his hips to wriggle out of his pants, and he didn't even have time to get to his sweatshirt when Han got back into bed.

Han settled between Luke's legs, leaning his weight on one arm to bring his other hand down. He rolled his thumb over Luke's clit, dipping two of his fingers inside straight down to his knuckles, muffling Luke's gasp in a kiss.

Luke shuddered and arched up against him, his hips twitching against Han’s hand; he was already wet enough that Han didn't have to take his time, pumping his fingers in and out of Luke in short, jerky movements, rubbing at Luke's clit until his knees shook on either side of Han's waist.

Han ducked down when Luke broke the kiss with a whine, mouthing at his neck and the still-sensitive marks from the night before.

“Han,” Luke panted, tangling his fingers in Han’s hair; Han groaned when Luke gave a soft tug, dragging his teeth over the curve of Luke's neck. “Please--”

Han surged up to kiss him, rubbing his fingers in quick, tight circles before pulling his hand away; he sucked the dampness off his fingertips before leaning in to kiss Luke again, and  _ oh _ he could  _ taste _ it--

Luke wriggled his hand down between them for Han’s dick, angling his hips up until he felt the head nudge into him. He'd barely gotten his hand away when Han pushed forward, knocking the breath from his lungs, bottoming out on the first thrust in.

Luke's head dropped back to the mattress with a moan; that fullness was like an itch being scratched, something close to relief without even having to come. 

He shivered when Han dipped down to kiss along his neck, looping his arm around Han’s shoulders. Han slowly started to roll his hips, barely pulling out, his breath coming out hot and uneven against Luke's skin.

Luke shifted his free hand down to squeeze at Han’s ass, almost out of reach; Han thrust into him with a needy whine, his hips flush with Luke's thighs, deep and hot and sending sparks down to Luke's fingertips.

He didn't have the leverage under Han to do much more than shakily rock his hips up, pushing Han closer with the hand on his ass. He bit back a whimper when Han shifted, pulling out a few inches to nudge Luke's legs wider apart, and that was the only warning he got before--

_ “Oh, _ fuck,” Luke gasped, his legs shaking at Han's waist.

Han fucked into him gradually faster until it knocked a soft  _ oh-oh-oh _ out of him with each thrust in, gripping at Han's shoulder so tight to keep his hand from slipping that somewhere, in the the last coherent part of Luke's mind, he realized there would probably be scratch marks left over.

Luke managed to hook one of his legs around the back of Han's thigh, locking him in, his hips jerking up to meet Han’s; he didn't need any more prompting before fucking Luke harder, dropping his forehead against Luke's shoulder with a muffled swear.

He could already feel Han’s movements getting uneven and jerky, couldn't help feeling a little smug until those next couple thrusts knocked the thought right out of his head. He moved his hand from Han's shoulder, tangling his fingers in Han’s hair to pull him up for a kiss.

Han went still, deep as he could go; Luke nudged his heel against the back of Han's thigh, rocking his hips up with a whine.

_ “Han.” _

He felt Han’s breath puff against his chin before kissing him again, shifting his hips just slightly, and Luke shivered.

“I’m gonna--just--”

Luke cut him off with another kiss, a muffled “I know,” rolling his hips up again.

Han was pressed so close Luke could feel him shudder, his chest lifting on a deep breath before he started rocking his hips into Luke. It didn't stay slow for long, Han leaning his weight on one arm to bring his other hand to Luke's knee, holding his leg a little higher.

Luke went boneless, clinging desperately to Han’s shoulders. He didn't know how Han could have pushed into him any deeper, his voice cracking on a drawn out moan with each thrust in. His whole body tingled like a live wire, and he gasped like he'd been shocked when Han leaned in to kiss his neck, sucking at one of the still-sensitive spots from the night before.

Luke’s hand slipped from Han’s shoulder, grabbing at his hair just for something to hold onto; Han fucked into him a little harder, muffling a whine in the curve of Luke's shoulder when he gave Han’s hair a light tug. He didn't slow down, and Luke almost forgot to breathe, warm and shaky all over.

He couldn't bring himself to care about the burn in his thighs from holding them up by Han’s waist; it barely registered through the feeling of Han gripping his leg, the way his thrusts echoed all the way down to his fingertips, that perfect sort of rough he could never get with his own hand when Han’s movements got jerky and uneven again.

Luke could tell he was close, practically just grinding into him at that point, panting against his neck and kissing down to his collar almost like an afterthought; he gave Han’s hair one last tug, grinning to himself at the desperate whine it pulled out of his chest before sliding his hand back down to Han's ass.

It was a reach, but Han bottomed out with a groan as soon as Luke dug his fingers in, holding Han tight against him while his hips twitched against Luke.

He rocked his hips another couple times, slow and shaky before he let go of Luke's leg and slumped down against him.

Luke still felt like he was buzzing; he squeezed around Han's dick, smiling into his hair at the whimper it got out of him before he pulled out, lazily kissing up to Luke's jaw.

Luke leaned down to kiss him, trying not to squirm from the empty feeling and the dampness along his inner thighs.

Han must have noticed, though, because he pulled back, his expression so warm Luke thought he might melt.

Han shifted to lean most of his weight on one arm, moving his other hand down to brush over Luke's clit.

“Did you--?”

Luke shivered and shook his head, bringing his hand up to card through Han’s hair. “It's f--”

Han cut him off with another kiss, easily slipping three fingers into him. Luke's head dropped back to the mattress with a gasp.

“You don't have to--”

Han rubbed his thumb over Luke's clit, and Luke forgot how words worked for a second.

“I think we’ve established I  _ like _ to,” Han murmured, kissing him again before pulling his hand away to move to the foot of the bed.

Luke scooted back to give him a little more room, stuffing the thin pillow between his shoulders and the wall to try to avoid the ache from last time.

Even if it didn't, the view was more than enough to make up for it.

Han hooked Luke's knees over his shoulders--there  _ were _ scratch marks, and Luke couldn’t decide if he felt a little guilty or something else entirely, hot in his chest. His hair was a mess, his face still flushed when he pushed Luke's sweatshirt up a few inches, kissing along the soft line of hair from Luke's bellybutton.

Luke could see the smattering of marks on his thighs from there, ranging from dusty pink to a hot, deep red, and he couldn't help shivering just from the thought of it before Han even got his mouth on his clit.

The back of Luke's head hit the wall with a  _ thunk. _ Han didn't take his time, closing his lips around Luke's clit and pumping his fingers in and out fast enough Luke could  _ hear _ it.

_ “Oh _ fuck--”

Luke's hand shook when he brought it down to Han's hair, his hips twitching up against Han’s mouth. Han hummed, the dull buzz against his clit making his thighs shake on either side of Han's head, knocking the breath out of him in short, quick gasps each time he moved his hand.

He’d been too distracted while Han was fucking him before to pay any attention to his clit, soaking up that fullness and the heavy warmth of Han on top of him, the way Han’s breath hitched as he kissed along Luke's neck; the fast, jerky movements of Han's fingers inside him brought him right back to that, tingly and boneless and hot in his belly, but he’d felt himself getting close almost as soon as Han started mouthing at his clit.

Han looped his free hand around to knead at Luke's thigh; Luke fisted his other hand in the sheets, trying not to pull too hard at Han's hair when he pressed down on one of the bruises from last night. He couldn't help pulling a little, grinding up against Han’s fingers when he could feel Han’s knuckles, deep as he could get, rubbing his fingertips in tight circles until Luke could barely keep his legs up on Han’s shoulders.

Han held Luke's thigh a little tighter when it started to slip.

Han barely pulled his fingers out before pushing back in, his lips tight around Luke's clit, pressing his tongue flat; the hot pressure against his clit paired with that  _ fullness _ made him see sparks, gripping the sheets until his knuckles ached. Han hummed again when Luke’s thighs squeezed around his head, sucking at his clit, curling his fingertips without even pulling out anymore.

Luke’s hand slipped from Han's hair when he started to come, cupping at the base of his skull, holding him in place to grind up against his mouth. Han kept lapping at his clit until Luke went slack, his hips twitching helplessly while he came down.

Han pulled his fingers out slowly, pressing his lips over Luke's clit in almost a kiss before gingerly lowering Luke's legs from his shoulders.

Luke shivered when Han swiped the back of his hand over his mouth.

He pushed himself off the wall, scooting down until he could lie flat while Han came back up from the foot of the bed.

Han’s lips were tacky-damp when he kissed him. Luke hummed when Han settled on top of him, warm and heavy, winding his arms around Han's waist.

The fuzzy feeling from smoking with Han mixed with the warmth tingling down to his fingertips left him sleepy and slow, dulling the ache in his hips and the twinge between his shoulderblades.

Han kissed along his jaw, down his neck, nuzzling into the curve of his shoulder. Luke could finally get a good look at the scratch marks he'd left behind, and he winced, tenderly running his fingertips over the faint lines.

“Sorry for that,” he mumbled into Han’s hair, pressing a kiss to the top of his head.

He felt Han grinning against his neck, his chest rumbling on a laugh.

“Just means I’m doing my job right.”

Luke shivered when Han kissed the ticklish spot below his jaw.

 

He wasn't sure when he'd fallen asleep, no windows or clocks to tell how long it had been; Han had slipped off of him, crammed between Luke and the wall, clinging like an octopus with his arm tight around Luke's waist and his leg hooked around Luke's knee.

Luke shifted to crack his neck, but he froze when he felt a puff of breath against his skin, something mumbled too quiet for him to hear; Han didn’t move from there except to pull himself closer, and Luke let out a breath he didn't realize he'd been holding when Han went still again, breathing deep and even.

Luke couldn't see much with Han still tucked against him, but he looked younger, somehow, the lines of his face smoothed out without the weight of a stress Luke hadn't known he'd been carrying until it was missing, his mouth open slack in a small  _ o. _

It made him feel warm.

Luke reached his free hand up to cover a yawn; his other arm was pinned under Han, and he carefully moved it higher, slowly inching up until his arm was under Han’s neck and the blood came rushing back into his hand.

Han shifted so his head was on Luke's shoulder with a soft sigh.

Luke wiggled his fingers until the tingling numbness went away, looping his arm around Han's back, and he closed his eyes again.

 

It was dark when he woke up to the mattress dipping at his side, Han shuffling back into place next to him.

“Forgot the lights earlier,” Han mumbled, tugging the thin blanket from the foot of the bed and pulling himself against Luke's side.

Luke shivered when Han’s hair tickled under his chin.

He felt halfway to dozing off again, just awake enough to feel Han sling his arm over Luke's waist, rubbing his fingertips over Luke's hip.

Han’s breathing was too unsteady to be close to sleep.

Luke shifted his hand from where his arm was around Han’s shoulders, carding his fingers through Han’s hair, flattening down where it was still sticking up at the back.

He felt Han take a deep breath before mumbling something Luke couldn't quite hear.

“What?”

Han grunted and shook his head, pressing a kiss to Luke's shoulder.

“Han, what?”

Han let out a slow, deep breath; he didn't say anything at first, and Luke was about to drop it before Han said, “This could be every morning.”

He wanted to take it at face value, tell himself Han meant waking up in bed like this and nothing else; but he knew that couldn't be true, not with what Han had asked him just a couple days earlier, before he left and came back.

Luke held onto him a little tighter.

“I'd take you everywhere,” Han said, low and rough and sleepy.

Luke tried not to think about that, or how Han really had to mean it, if it was only coming out when he was half asleep and alone, none of the plausible deniability of asking Luke to come as an extra set of hands.

He tried not to think about why Han had really come back, with more of an instinct for self preservation than any real loyalty to the resistance, but he couldn't find it in him to ignore that thought either.

“I can't,” Luke said quietly.

“I know,” Han said after a beat, nuzzling closer against Luke's side. “Just gimme a few hours to pretend not to.”

Luke fell asleep again with an apology on the tip of his tongue.

 

Han wasn't there when he woke up again.

The space between himself and the wall was still warm. He rubbed his hand over his eyes and sat up with a wince, stretching his back with a few satisfying pops.

Han’s clothes were still on the floor; it took a few seconds to wake up enough to remember what Han had said last night, and then it hit him like a bag of bricks.

Luke let out a deep sigh and leaned his head in his hands.

He jerked upright when he heard footsteps coming towards the door, and he had to try not to stare when Han came back in naked with a chipped mug in each hand.

Han gave them both to Luke so he could dig a pair of sweatpants out from one of the drawers under the bed without spilling.

They were low enough Luke could see the V of his hips when he sat down on the bed, and if that made it a little easier to keep his mind off of that conversation last night, he wasn't about to complain.

“Hey,” Han said, pressing a kiss to the side of Luke's face when he reached for one of the mugs, pausing for a second before swapping with Luke. “That one’s yours.”

Luke looked down; the caf in Han’s mug was darker, almost black.

“Dunno how you take it,” Han said, holding the steaming mug close to his face before deciding against it, “so I just put in hot chocolate mix.”

Luke grinned and bumped his shoulder against Han’s. “Thanks.”

Han finished his first, but Luke had to savor it; he was only about halfway through when Han put his mug down on the floor, close to the bed so it wouldn’t get knocked over. Han looped his arm around Luke's side, leaning his chin on Luke's shoulder.

He had to push down the thought that this could be every morning, too.

Han slipped his hand under Luke's sweatshirt, kneading at his hip, his nose bumping against Luke's jaw.

“This is a good look on you,” he murmured, kissing at Luke's neck.

Luke could feel him smiling; it hadn't really registered yet that he still wasn't wearing pants. He shivered at the feeling of Han’s lips soft on his neck, holding the mug up to try to hide the flush he could feel creeping over his cheeks.

Luke held the mug upside-down when he was almost finished, tapping the bottom until he'd gotten most of the chocolaty sludge. He leaned over to put the mug down on the floor next to Han's, and he hadn't gotten fully upright when Han pulled him in by the collar of his sweatshirt for a kiss.

He tasted like toothpaste and caf.

The angle was a little awkward, and Luke had to brace one hand next to him on the mattress to keep from tipping over; he reluctantly broke the kiss to flop down on the bed, pulling Han down with him. They shifted until they were lying on their sides, legs tangled together, Han’s arm snug around his waist.

“So,” Han said, so close his eyes started to cross, absently rubbing at Luke's hip, “what’re we doing today?”

Luke shivered; he pressed forward, closing the short distance before he could kiss Han while he thought of an answer. “We could stay here.”

He felt Han grin, nudging his thigh up between Luke's, his hand slipping down from Luke's hip to palm at his ass. “I like the sound of that.”

 

Luke still wasn’t sure exactly where Han had tossed that sweatshirt.

He was sitting up against the wall, Han’s back to his chest, leaning his chin on the top of Han's head. They  _ were _ going to shower, Luke had insisted, winding his arms around Han's waist; just, you know, later (Han’s laugh vibrated in his chest), what's the hurry?

He had to ignore the feeling of a timer running out, forcing all his focus to Han’s hands on his, rubbing his thumb over Luke's knuckles, the warm weight of him against his chest, all the tiny details he wanted to hold onto when--

Luke took a deep breath and kissed the top of his head. No point wasting time thinking about that.

Han let out a huff when his stomach rumbled, twisting around to kiss Luke's jaw.

Luke tilted his head down to kiss him properly. “Did you bring breakfast?”

Han shrugged. “I’ll find something here.” Luke couldn’t read Han’s expression before he kissed him again. “What's the hurry, right?”

Luke held him a little closer, pushing away the ache in his chest. It was still early; a day of dehydrated food and instant caf was more than worth going back to base a while later.

**Author's Note:**

> im@hansolosbi dot tumblr dot com!


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